Youth Group Liaison Committee
Getting Youth Organizations Underground

How do you take your Youth Group, Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, YMCA Teen Group, AWANA or other youth group caving (spelunking)?

The Youth Group Liaison Committee mission is to connect this generation of cave explorers and the next through youth groups seeking to include the sciences and arts of speleology and cave exploration in their program, by involving the Regional Coordinators, partners, associates, and Grottos.

Caving with children and young people can be a highly rewarding and enjoyable experience. However, if done improperly, this type of activity can turn into an emotional and financial nightmare. This website contains information
that will help adult youth group leaders and cave trip leaders plan
and execute the best and safest trip possible.

Take your time and explore all of the information within this website.
Look at the pages that have been designed for other organized youth
groups as well as the ones for the group to which you belong. There
may be some information that pertains to special circumstances that
you may encounter. Another organization may have a method of dealing
with a situation that you may find useful.

If you are a youth group leader with little or no caving experience,
you are highly encouraged to find an experienced caver to lead you and
your group into a cave. However, be aware that not all experienced
cavers are safe cavers. Please read the information that is offered in all the brochures published by the NSS before allowing anybody to lead your group into a
cave. Read the caving accident reports to learn about what has gone
wrong in caves.

Consider taking your group to a wild cave trip in a show cave before
venturing off into a truly wild cave. Often these tours will satisfy
the "caving urge" of many in your group and this is an easy way to
arrange a caving trip. Several show caves have badge and patch
activities that teach about speleology and geology. Find this information on the
Wild Cave Tours and Sightseeing Trips button.

The NSS Regional Coordinator Program centers group of volunteers who assist youth
group leaders, cavers and grottos in developing appropriate caving programs.They do not guide youth groups into caves as part of this program, though some do this on an individual basis. They act as a local resource and may answer questions to help direct youth groups to better and safer caving information. This is a new program. More volunteer Regional Coordinators may be added in the future.

Regional Coordinators receive hundreds of requests each year from youth groups. To help the Regional Coordinators keep track of your request, please enter the following into the subject line of each e-mail you send: YGLC, Organization (initials are preferable), Unit Number, Activity Date. YGLC stands for Youth Groups Liaison Committee and including this helps sort youth group requests from personal e-mail.

For example, if you are the leader of Boy Scout Troop 431 and you would like a cave conservation presentation on March 15, 2006, please enter the information in the subject line to read: YGLC, BSA, 431, 3/15/06

If you lead a youth group that does not have a unit number, or if you do not have a date in mind, please leave these spaces blank. For example, if you are the leader of a youth group called Adventure Kids that has no national or regional affiliation, and you don't have a date or activity in mind, please write in the subject line: YGLC, AK